It's 6 except in basketball and FBS football. In basketball you need 7 (not counting schools transitioning from Division II). FBS requires eight, and all must be full members to be considered an FBS conference for NCAA voting purposes.

In addition, a conference with at least 7 members must sponsor 2 team sports (volleyball, lacrosse, soccer, ice hockey, field hockey, baseball, softball) for each gender in addition to basketball, and at least 12 sports overall. Up to two affiliates may count towards the second team sport. Right now the Summit fails this requirement because one of the six baseball members was Omaha (transitioning), and now Oakland is leaving.

Adding NJIT (Great West) would work here. It is unclear if NYIT (baseball-only member of the Great West) would satisfy this requirement as it is their only Division I sport.

There is a two-year grace period for a conference to meet these requirements if it falls below them. The Summit is safe for the upcoming 2013-14 academic year, but after June 30, 2014, time's up.

If the Summit can't add another school to survive, it could in theory go nuts in adding Division II schools and wait out their transition periods. Those schools are postseason-ineligible for four years anyway (except for the "fast track" sports a school designates), so the Summit having an AQ temporarily would really be a non-issue for them; the issue would be for any existing D-I schools left in the Summit who now have to wait four more years.

I'm surprised to see the UNO chancellor speaking so confidently in regards to the future of the Summit League. He has to be aware that his university has the weakest chance at being extended a lifeline out of the Summit. UNO's best hope is trying to recruit some of the DII Minnesota schools into the league to keep the league going. The problem is that those Minnesota schools are going to need a home for their football it would be tough to convince the Dakota schools and WIU to leave the MVFC.

I'm surprised to see the UNO chancellor speaking so confidently in regards to the future of the Summit League. He has to be aware that his university has the weakest chance at being extended a lifeline out of the Summit. UNO's best hope is trying to recruit some of the DII Minnesota schools into the league to keep the league going. The problem is that those Minnesota schools are going to need a home for their football it would be tough to convince the Dakota schools and WIU to leave the MVFC.

With that being said, UNO must also revive/re-instate its football program in the process.

I don't see the Summit losing any more schools. Maybe 1 if the Horizon goes to 12. NKU, Robert Morris, UMKC seem to be higher on the HL list than any other Summit school. Big Sky will probably only jump in if NDSU and SDSU need a life line.

A-Sun is who needs to worry. NKU, Mercer, ETSU, KSU, USCU seem to be on the SoCon, Big South, HL radar. Lipscomb would end up in the Summit if the ASC loses all of those. A-Sun does have the most ready to move up options but would lose their AQ for a while. Columbus St., Georgia Regents, Nova Southeastern, UNA, and maybe W.Florida, W.Georgia down the road. The last 3 would need fb homes.

NKU could fast track baseball upgrade which would allow it to count for the Summit as the 6th team

I still think that the Summit should merge with the Horizon, leaving the Dakota schools aside. It would be impossible for the Summit to find another all-sports member (that has baseball to save the league).

NKU could fast track baseball upgrade which would allow it to count for the Summit as the 6th team

I still think that the Summit should merge with the Horizon, leaving the Dakota schools aside. It would be impossible for the Summit to find another all-sports member (that has baseball to save the league).

I'm sure they'd love to, but the Horizon would be the big loser...since they can pick and chose which SL schools they want.

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